An Unforgettable Road Trip through the Wild West

America is a country of vast and diverse landscapes.  One can travel just 30 minutes from home and experience a completely different culture and climate or drive for hours without seeing the horizon. 

To truly understand and appreciate America, you need to take a road trip.  There’s no better way to experience the charming little towns, stunning scenery and America’s varied landscape than from behind the wheel of an automobile.

The beauty of the road trip lies in its simplicity.  There are no fixed schedules and to-do lists.  It’s all about going with the flow and discovering what lies ahead just around the bend, over the rise, or beyond that distant horizon.  And with a little luck, you’ll witness a spectacular sight like a herd of bison crossing the prairie.

Someone once said that to understand America, you need to understand baseball.  I would argue that to truly understand America, a road trip is in order, to see and experience the diverse people and places that make up this great country.

I really enjoyed every road trip I’ve taken in the U.S.  I’m always mesmerized by the beauty of the landscape, and the large expanses of countryside carved up by the highways and freeways are just as iconic as any skyline I’ve seen. 

From breathtaking sunset over a purple desert in New Mexico, picturesque shorelines of the Pacific Coast Highway, to the stunning expanse of salt flat in Utah, being on the road has always enabled to me to discover the simple beauty of life.  And our road trip from San Francisco to Yellowstone National Park through the Wild West was no exception. 

The western half of North America is often described as a land of contrasts, and no route across it gives a sharper sense of the region’s extremes than Highway 80. Starting in the west, just outside San Francisco, winding up northeast through the Great Desert Basin in Nevada to the Great Salt Lake in Utah (where it splits into I-15 or I-89), this route traverses some of the wildest and diverse landscapes imaginable.  Besides offering up-close looks at mile after mile of magnificent and almost completely untouched wilderness, we were privy to the breathtaking nature of Montana and Wyoming. 

It was an absolutely spectacular trip, and with help of YELP, we were able find wonderful little mom and pop restaurants and hidden treasures along the way.

San Francisco, California to Carson City (or Reno), Nevada

Enjoy the stunning view of the newly renovated Bay Bridge.  Stop at Saul’s Deli in Berkeley and pick up the best pastrami sandwich and latkes in the West Coast and have a picnic in Live Oak Park.  The drive through Donner Pass is absolutely breathtaking and definitely worth the 20 minute detour.

Carson City, Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah

The drive from Carson City to Salt Lake City through the Great Desert Basin in Nevada is long (a little over 7 hours).  Appropriately nicknamed “the Loneliest Road”, it passes through a largely barren uninhabited region.  However, the road, the actual driving surface is excellent, and there are a few interesting sights along the way: a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that sells delicious homemade pies in Elko, B.J. Bull Bakery, Steve’s Homemade Ice Cream in Fernley, and a decent selection of Mexican restaurants in Winnemucca. 

Definitely must see: Thunder Mountain Monument in Imlay, Nevada and Bonneville Salt Flats near the Nevada Utah border.

A Day in Salt Lake City, Utah

Spend half a day in the city strolling (or take a tram) around Temple Square and downtown.  Then, be sure to take a drive out to Antelope Island State Park.  It’s not only the most scenic place to see the Great Salt Lake, but also the landscape is absolutely idyllic!  We felt that we were in the midst of a National Geographic photo shoot. 

Take a leisurely drive around the island and enjoy watching herds of bison or magnificent antelopes crossing the prairie, and stay and watch breathtaking colors of the sky as the sunsets over the lake.

Hyatt Place and Hyatt House are located smack dab in the middle of downtown SLC and provides comfortable accommodation, and be sure to check out R&R BBQ and their finger licking ribs!

Salt Lake City, Utah to Driggs, Idaho

There are two routes you can take from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone, and depending on exactly what you want to see in between and how much time you have will determine the optimal route.

The most direct route is to take I-15 North via Idaho Falls, which is about 320 miles (4½ hours).  The more ambitious and adventurous route is via I-89 that takes you through Jackson Hole (about the same in distance but twice as long).

Although every travel forum recommends the second option, after spending 7½ hours on the road only few days back and recovering from road fatigue, we opted for the quicker route.  However, next time, I would definitely take the I-89 route and stay in Jackson, WY.

Nevertheless, we found a fun stopover, Idaho Potato Museum, in Blackfoot and Pitmaster BarBQue Company in Idaho Falls, where I had the best barbecues.

A Day in Yellowstone National Park

What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this majestic park.  Yellowstone is so grand that it covers three states: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. 

Take a short hike around Lower Geyser Basin, where you can see variety of geysers including the Fountain Paint Pots.  Grand Prismatic Spring located in Midway Geyser Basin is a must as the vibrant colors of the bacteria that inhabit the geyser's interior is absolutely stunning!  Have lunch at Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria or Dining Room while waiting for Old Faithful to erupt, which can take 45-60 minutes. 

After lunch, take a scenic drive along the Yellowstone Lake, the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 feet in all of North America, and on to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone where there’s a spectacular view of the waterfalls.  It’s an iconic view that has been captured in numerous paintings.

One thing I do not recommend is staying in West Yosemite at the entrance of the park.  Although it may seem convenient, the town is flooded with tourists and lacks infrastructure or decent restaurants.

Glorious Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

It may be just a stone’s throw away from Yellowstone, but Grand Teton National Park is a visual masterpiece in its own right.  Not only is it the home of the major peaks of the dramatic Teton Range, 13,775-foot Grand Teton, but also the West’s most defining wildlife, although we didn’t spot any during our trip.

The best part was hiking the scenic trails to the Inspiration Point with the stunning view of Jenny Lake.  Also, make sure to take a drive along the Jackson Lake with beautiful vistas and stop for a swim in the glistening lake, which was a remarkable experience.   

On your way out, stop at Jackson for dinner.  It’s a charming little town straight out of a Western movie set that offers a surprisingly great selection of restaurants.  Our favorites were Bunnery Bakery, which had great food and atmosphere, and Teton Thai Plate, where we had one of the best Pad Thai Noodles!

It was a real treat finding all these little hole-in-the-wall places, restaurants and sights during our road trip, and I can’t wait to go back on the road again!

My Top 10 Urban Oases

I am a quintessential city girl. I love big cities and preferred being in the midst of a concrete jungle than in the wilderness. But even a hard core city girl like me needs to chill and relax from time to time, and I retreat to a tranquil space that allows me to just that.

Botanical Garden (San Francisco) 

Smack dab in the middle of the Golden Gate Park is the Botanical Garden (at Strybing Arboretum), and it truly is a beautiful oasis in the heart of San Francisco. There are so many wonderful things to discover, and with more than 7,500 various species of plants, spouting fountains, wide open fields and a number of lovely little nooks, such as the Garden of Fragrance and the Children's Garden, you can sit quietly with your family and friends lazing together in the sunshine, reading books or exploring the various garden floras.  Also, it is one of the loveliest places for a picnic.

Shakespeare Garden (San Francisco)

Hidden away along a small path to the California Academy of Sciences, the enchanting Shakespeare Garden, with an arched iron-wrought gate, is the type of homely garden opening that one would to expect to stumble upon in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Even visitors who have strolled through Golden Gate Park dozens of times may have never wandered into Shakespeare Garden. It’s pretty easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.

The Shakespeare Garden contains numerous plants that are referenced in Shakespeare's actual writings, and on the back brick wall, quotations and passages from his plays are engraved on stone tablets for visitors to read.

Central Park (New York City) 

What more can I say about Central Park that hasn’t been said. It’s FABULOUS! Immersed in lush and wild nature with a massive skyline as a backdrop, it’s truly an urban oasis that defies all logic.

For most New Yorkers, the park is a sanctuary. Especially for me, it was a place where I would retreated to whenever my life in the city got too much, and I needed to regroup and recuperate. Also, some of the best and most memorable experiences I’ve had were in the park, like serendipitously meeting my husband.

It’s a place where we always go back to reminisce about our wonderful past lives in the city as well as creating beautiful new ones with our son who absolutely adores every corner of the park.

Our favorites in the park: Heckscher Playground, Poets Row, Bethesda Terrace, Alice in Wonderland Statue, John Lennon Imagine Memorial, and the always entertaining and eclectic street performers.

The Highline (New York City) 

After all the places I’ve seen in NYC, I can honestly say that the Highline (from Gansevoort St to West 34th St, between 10th & 11th Avenue) is my favorite. It epitomizes the city that is constantly evolving and recreating itself. Not only the design and the atmosphere of the park unique and innovative, it has transformed a neighborhood which was formally known as the “Death Avenue” into a trendy, upscale, and more importantly, family friendly area.

As the park expands from lower Manhattan to 31th Street in Midtown, it provides some of the best views of the key monuments, the Empire State building, Chrysler Building, and on a clear day, the Statue of Liberty.

There's an eclectic mix of art installations as well as tasty food carts, art vendors and musicians, and the great thing about the Highline is that it enables you to have and enjoy an urban experience in the midst of (man-made) nature.

Riverside Park (New York City)

I loved living on the Upper West Side. Aside from it being one of the more residential and child-friendly neighborhoods in Manhattan, you're privy to two of the most beautiful urban oases in the world, Central Park and Riverside Park.

Although Riverside Park is by no means as well-known as Central Park, it is a vast expanse of green space and a home to beautiful gardens, landscaped paths, sports facilities, public art, and some of the most stunning river views.

Venice Canal (Los Angeles)

Secreted away from the hustle and bustle of the famous boardwalk, the picturesque canals of Venice, California, are one of the seaside community's hidden charms.

More than 100 years ago, developer Abbot Kinney conceived the mad idea of building a "Venice of America," a cultural Valhalla dedicated to the fine arts, complete with canals, gondolas and imported Italian gondoliers. The experiment failed, and the gondoliers went home, but the canals remain and are a splendid place to take a walk.

Begin this walk near the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Pacific Avenue, at the corner of Washington and Strongs Drive. There, under a small sign that says "Venice Canals Walkway," turn in and begin exploring. Within minutes, you'll lose the roar of Venice traffic and begin to experience the charm of canal life.

Jardin du Luxembourg (Paris, France) 

The Jardin du Luxembourg has always been one of my favorite places in Paris! I love the beauty and the elegance of it all. When I lived in Paris, it was a sanctuary where I could go to think and write.

Being back in the Luxembourg Gardens with our son, I discovered that it was a delightful place for kids as well, and there were many activities for children to enjoy, and each time I’m there, it’s as memorable as the first time I’d visited Paris.

Promenade Plantée (Paris, France) 

I absolutely love the High Line in NYC! So, when I heard that it was inspired by Promenade Plantée in Paris, I had to check it out and see it for myself.

Created in 1988 by Philippe Mathieux and Jacques Vergely on the former railway line, which linked Place de la Bastille to Varenne-Saint-Maur from 1859, the Promenade Plantée mixes areas of wild vegetation that has sprung up alongside the railway line with more modern landscaped areas.

It begins behind the Bastille opera house and runs above avenue Daumesnil to the Jardin de Reuilly: it is the famous Viaduc des Arts. The Allée Vivaldi then comprises the shopping part of the walkway. Then, it continues through tunnels and trenches and ends at Porte Dorée and the Bois de Vincennes.

About halfway to Bois de Vincennes, there is a large green park with a pelouse (lawn) that's not forbidden to walk on as most of the green lawns are in Paris, and there is also a small playground.

Promenade Plantée truly is a hidden gem, and although the ambiance is definitely different from the High Line, it’s a perfect place for children – also, you won’t see many tourists here.

Kollwitz Platz (Berlin, Germany) 

Named after the famous German painter, print maker and sculptor Käthe Kollwitz, it is one of the loveliest and liveliest squares in Berlin.

Farmer's Market at Kollwitz Square has a great selection of meats, cheeses and organic food, as well as wine – and oh, fresh oysters! Also, there are playgrounds nearby, which is perfect if you have a little one.

Cheonggyecheon (Seoul, South Korea) 

Neglected merely as an overpass since 1970, Cheonggyecheon was was a small stream that flowed through the downtown area along some of Seoul’s popular sights. Then, in 2003, the mayor of the city decided to restore the stream and give the city some much-needed natural space, and when the restoration was completed in 2005, Cheonggyecheon became a haven of natural beauty and oasis in the midst the cosmopolitan city.

Situated smack dab in the middle of the city, it is one of the nicest place to take a stroll. For children, it’s an absolutely perfect place to explore as you walk along the stream, there are many artistic and fun details that are sure to delight every child.